06 April 2011

Americans strongly support allowing women in uniform to serve in combat, despite US military rules that ban women from combat units, a new poll showed on Thursday.
The Quinnipac University Polling Institute's survey said 67 percent of voters favored permitting women "to serve in ground units that engage in close combat" with 29 percent opposed.
Both male and female voters backed the change by similar margins, with support strongest among younger Americans, according to the poll, carried out March 22-28.
Among voters 18 to 34 years old, the poll showed support for lifting the ban at 81 percent, while Americans over the age of 55 backed the change 55-38 percent.
"Americans have become accustomed to women in the armed forces, and apparently are ready for them to serve in combat units. It will be interesting to see how the public feels if, God forbid, there is combat with large numbers of women casualties," Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement.